Barrie Saunders, Perth, Scotland

I voted for the Conservative Party at the general election. Obviously I was hoping that they would get a majority, but one has to be pragmatic.

I think the coalition has proved to be a good thing for the Tory party. Having the Liberals on board gives them a wider spectrum of approval, as the Tories often get bad press because people associate them too much with Margaret Thatcher.

I come from a private sector background although I am now retired. It always frustrated me that we were paying massive taxes to support the public sector, while having to make cuts ourselves. The previous government always seemed to equate the economy with the public sector, and I think this coalition has made an excellent start at reducing Labour's excesses and inefficiencies.

However, all of the good talk needs to be put into action, and I do have other concerns.

I'm suspicious of David Cameron's apparent support for Turkey entering the EU. He seems to have stated that there has been too much immigration, so why is he supporting Turkey's inclusion? Surely this will just result in another influx of people from eastern Europe.

I was disappointed by the Lisbon Treaty and I don't like the EU, it's expensive and bureaucratic. So I think it's important that the electorate are at least given the opportunity to decide whether Turkey should join or not.

Lindsay Johnson, York

Lindsay Johnson

Retired teacher

Voted Liberal Democrat

I have never voted Conservative, but I am very impressed by the new government.

We need a stable, strong government to take us through this economic crisis and David Cameron has shown, by his willingness to compromise in building a coalition government, that he has the vision and flexibility needed.

I like the way that the new government is getting on with things. They are being very decisive. I think they have a clear view of what they want the country to be like, which is very confidence-inspiring.

I am also pleased that the tenor of life in our country is moving away from lecturing by government to personal responsibility. The country is being freed from regulations and dictats.

I am a teacher, and I believe that people should be responsible for themselves. Not everyone has to be the same. The Labour government always seemed to have this idea that every child should have the same learning experience - it just doesn't happen like that.

I think David Cameron's Big Society is a very good idea, if he can make it work. It's good that people should be more responsible for their community. When people start to take more responsibility it will make them feel prouder about where they live. I'd be pleased if that happened.

David Gardener, Windsor

David Gardener

Accountant

Voted Conservative

I voted Conservative at the last couple of elections (national and local), although I've always considered myself to be to the left of the Conservative party.

I'm surprised by how much the new government has impressed me - they are a breath of fresh air, promoting a socially and economically liberal government. In the past I have been concerned about the Conservative party's social attitudes, but the Lib Dems have helped bring them on.

What I particularly like about this government is that they seem to be quite mature. Discussions no longer always have to happen in private. The free milk debate is a good example of this - these discussions within government should be open to the public.

I work for the private sector and I don't have strong feelings about who runs what but I do think everything should be good value for money. I think it would be a good thing to scale back the size of the state. I also like the government's ideas about getting people more involved in their communities. There used to be so much bureaucracy around voluntary work and so little recognition for volunteers.

Before the coalition government formed, my wife and I were very concerned about our future. We didn't feel that Labour had committed to tackling the budget deficit. They also seemed to be most concerned about how to help baby boomers. This new government actually seems to be talking to my generation.

Mick Joyce, Leicester

Mick Joyce

Voted UKIP

Although I did not vote for this government, I think they have made a good start in many ways.

I used always to vote Labour, but recently my eyes have really been opened to their excesses. I haven't voted for them since 1997 - after experiencing Tony Blair's first term in office. I didn't like his policies and his desire to control people.

In the last election, I voted for UKIP. I still wouldn't vote for the Conservatives or Liberals, but based on their first 100 days in coalition, I do think they're doing well.

I approve of their economic restraint, and I'm glad that they've scrapped the ID cards scheme. Anything that restores individual freedoms to us is good. For that reason I'm also in favour of reducing speed cameras and CCTV.

I would like to see the coalition government go even further in giving us back our liberty and reducing bureaucracy though.

I will be interested to see what happens after a year of two - I do worry that the government may start straying into areas I don't like.

My main concern is that this government is very pro-EU, highlighted by Cameron's speeches about Turkey. This was one of the reasons I didn't vote Conservative originally. (Although to be honest, I don't think Labour was much better in this regard.) I'm worried by the idea of over-population in this country and what that might mean in the future.